


Dummy's Inner Hairdresser

by rebelmeg



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bot fic, F/M, Pepperony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7224661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelmeg/pseuds/rebelmeg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dummy learns a lot of things by observing and inquiring, and watching Pepper braid her hair inspires one such occasion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dummy's Inner Hairdresser

**Author's Note:**

> I'm outrageously fond of Tony's bots, particularly Dummy. I'm also a major Pepperony shipper, so this satisfies me greatly.

Pepper leaned back against a work table and tossed her strawberry blonde braid over her shoulder that she had just finished tying off with an elastic. It was Sunday, and as she had started doing out of habit, she was hanging around in Tony’s workshop in worn, comfortable sweats and trying to get some paperwork done. Tony was a couple tables away, brandishing his soldering iron and muttering to himself and Jarvis as he tried to singe off his eyebrows or something.

Pepper was in the middle of a complicated (and simultaneously boring) report when something touched her hair and made her jump. She whirled around to see… Dummy.

“Dummy? What are you doing?”

The robot reached out again, its claw gingerly poking at the braid she had just tied off, chirping.

“Jarvis, what is he on about?”

“I believe he wants to play with your hair, Ms. Potts.”

Pepper giggled in surprise. “Really? That’s… very funny. Here, Dummy.” She unraveled the braid and swept all her hair over her shoulder, letting it fall over Dummy’s claw. The bot chirped some more, filtering the reddish hair over its claw and picking up locks of it clumsily, but with surprisingly gentleness.

After a minute, it was clear the bot was getting frustrated, and after one slight tug and a loud chirp, Pepper patted Dummy’s metal arm. “Jarvis, what’s wrong?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I believe he’s trying to braid your hair and can’t figure out how it works.”

Suppressing another laugh, Pepper smiled and continued petting the robot’s arm. “Oh, Dummy. I’ll show you, okay?”

\------------------

“Pepper, what is my bot doing to your hair?” Tony had resurfaced from the display Jarvis had been projecting for him, the dark smudges under his eyes showing his need for sleep.

Pepper glanced up from the magazine she was reading and smiled. “Dummy is braiding my hair. Or, practicing, anyway.”

With a chirp, Dummy moved its claw over to waggle it at Tony, and subsequently lost hold of the loose, messy, but distinguishable braid he was working on.

“Seriously? He can’t even clean up my desk without making an even bigger mess, but he can braid your hair?” Tony sounded both incredulous and maybe a little jealous.

Pepper peeked over at him again, a little half-smile on her face. “You done?”

Tony blew out a breath and rubbed at his neck, his t-shirt rucking up at the side just enough for her to catch a glimpse of skin. “I guess. For now.”

“Come on, then. Bed. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Grinning at the flirtatious glance Pepper sent him, Tony followed her out of the lab with a distinct spring in his step.

\---------------------

Pepper absently clicked the pen she was holding as she waited for Tony to finish making changes to one of his displays. She needed him to sign a few things before she headed to the offices, and see if she could goad him into going upstairs for some more sleep. He’d come to bed with her, but sometime after midnight had slid out of bed and come down here. It worried her, how little he slept, and how often nightmares plagued him and wouldn’t let him rest.

A little whirring and chirping sound drew Pepper out of her thoughts, and she glanced over her shoulder. She smiled a little as she saw Dummy behind her. “Hey, Dummy.”

The bot reached its arm up and tapped gently at her coif of hair, and her grin broadened. “I already did my hair today.”

Another tap.

She looked over at Tony, still tapping his fingers over the mechanical figure on the projected display, and set down the folder and pen in her hands on a work table. 

“Okay, Dummy. Just this once.” Taking the bobby pins out that were holding her hair up, Pepper smiled as she let her hair fall down her back, feeling Dummy’s claw carefully combing through the slightly damp strands. It was unexpectedly soothing.

\-------------------

It was another Sunday evening, and Pepper was reading through an article online about modern power couples, smiling a little to herself at the mention of herself and Tony among the mix.

At the sound of a cheerful beep, Pepper glanced down, the end of a pretty decent braid being nudged over her shoulder, the end still clutched in Dummy’s claw.

“You’re done already? You’re getting so good at this, Dummy.” Pulling an elastic out of the package on the side table, she looped it quickly around the end of the braid. Dummy wouldn’t have been able to do that part unless he had at least two more digits on his claw, but Pepper had bought the package of elastics to keep in the workshop for whenever Dummy got his inner hairdresser going.

“This is wonderful, Dummy, it really is. Maybe once you get this down really well, we can teach you how to French braid. You might have to help from You, though. It’s pretty tricky.”

Dummy chirped in what Pepper imagined was a happy fashion, rolling away to get up to some kind of mischief.

“Seriously, Pep, what are you doing to my bots?”

She looked over at him, where he’d just rolled out from under one of his cars, wiping his greasy hands off on an equally grease-stained rag. She smiled fondly, adoring the sight. “Careful, Tony, or one of these days you’re going to fall asleep down hair and wake up with painted nails.”

He made his way over to her, and kissed her quite soundly. “You’re banished.”

Pepper just grinned. “I’m scared.”

“As you should be, honey.”


End file.
